Dutch Design Week 2015: Digital upcycling

Eindhoven – Designer Bastiaan de Nennie examines craftsmanship in the digital age by re-imagining physical objects as uncanny digital creations.

Digital Virtuosity uses a ‘reversed design process’ that explores the relationship between the past and the future
De Nennie uses objects with a nostalgic aesthetic to create completely original designs

De Nennie begins by 3D scanning a physical object to convert it into a digital rendering. This is then taken apart and reshaped to create recognisable yet unfamiliar objects.

‘There were many shapes before the digital world existed,' he tells LS:N Global. 'Once scanned into the computer these objects lose their function but become raw material, the building blocks for my creations.’

Digital Virtuosity is a collection of these weird and wonderful creations, made in De Nennie's free and playful style, including a stool made from a distorted steering wheel, a car constructed from an umbrella and a shoe made from telephone parts.

For now De Nennie is content to see his objects as renderings, focusing on the process which he says explores the interaction between past and future, physical and digital. He believes that now more than ever its vital for designers to develop a unique aesthetic which sets them apart in a world where digital is the dominant medium for design.

The Big Picture

The interplay between the physical and digital worlds is inspiring brands such as Hunter to talk about heritage in a way that feels relevant. Find out more in our interview with Thomas Eberwein, founder of creative agency Thomas Traum.